My Top 5 Bloat-Trigger Foods

I want to preface this by saying this list is created based off my personal experience with these foods & that some of you may be able to tolerate them just fine.

But, based off my personal gut-healing journey and nutrition & physiology knowledge, these foods are extra tough for a reason and could be causing you that sexy prego belly ;) LOL 🤰🏽

I also want to remind you of a couple of key things that are important to remember:

Just because something is healthy, doesn’t mean that it can’t make you feel bloated. It's often the healthiest foods that trigger people. (For example, beans...)

Nothing is “wrong with you” if you suffer bloating. There is really no need to panic and freak out though I most definitely have. Coming from someone who literally has a physical dysfunction of the go track and a supposed life-long battle with bloating--I'm tellin' ya you will be just fine B. I made it, you will too.

Bloating is your body trying to tell you something as in any other discomfort you experience like a headache for example. Our body's are seriously so smart, so take it as a blessing that your body is trying to help you either avoid these foods or heal.

1) Salads

Ok so the amount of confusion surrounding salads in regards to whether they help with bloat or hinder it is astounding! Here’s the down low, no bs, answer: Salads, specifically raw salads are insanely healthy for you (duh), but can be very difficult for your body to break down. Yes, something can be perfectly healthy for you while also causing you to bloat.

The thing is, raw salads are loaded with fiber in its toughest form that required lots of digestive enzymes to break down properly. If you are new to this kind of eating, your body will have no idea what the heck to do with all that fiber and the probability of you feeling 5 months prego is like 80%.

That being said, even people who have been eating healthy their whole lives can have or developed difficulties breaking down large qualities of fiber at one time, causing them to experience that same, distended, uncomfortable, gassy feeling. Sexy.

When I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis, I had to literally give up raw salads completely for close to 2 years before reintroducing them into my diet. During those two years I was on a very strict protocol of gut-healing and that’s why today I can down a salad big enough for a family of 4 no problem (not that I do that often 😂).

So, if you are a salad lover but are getting the prego feels, I’d suggest investing in some digestive enzymes, reducing your portion size to half of what you’d usually eat OR make a “warm salad” with cooked veggies. 🤗

2) Dairy Anything

Ever since I was 13, I’ve been unable to break down the lactose in dairy. Did I stop eating it right as soon as I realized this? OF COURSE NOT! Heck, dairy is “good for us” right?? Greek yogurt, froyo, low-fat cheese 🧀....? Little did I know that our bodies where not physically designed to break down dairy anything after 2ish years of age. Say what?! Yes, I’m sorry but it’s just facts.

The fact that some people can continue to break it down into adulthood is just variation amongst our abilities—that’s not to say they should keep eating it. But ok I’ll stop ranting on dairy now, but I will say that it’s one of the top trigger foods for just about anyone who has GI issues.

There are so so many alternatives nowadays from major brands like Halo-top and Ben & Jerry’s selling dairy-free ice cream to Daiya making really yummy dairy-free cheese.

Cut.It.Out.

3) Oatmeal

This one shocks so many of my friends and it shocked me when I discovered I was having issues with it. For years I was eating oatmeal at least twice a day out of a genuine love for this, from a nutrition standpoint, nutritionally perfect food. But when good ole Gastroparesis decided to happen, my favorite anytime meal became an instant trigger.

For a while I though it was just me, until a few of my fitness-oriented friends asked me if oats were bad for bloating 😱 So I’m not alone!

Turns out that oats are either your go-to flat-tummy food or your worst prego belly trigger—it just depends on whether you can break down the specific type of fiber combo going on inside them.

If you suspect you are having an issue with them, just cut them out for a week and see how you feel.

If you discover that they are in fact a trigger for you but can’t imagine giving them up (like me 😅) I have already hacked life for you so don’t worry 💁🏽‍♀️...

Blend.Your.Oats.

Yep--blend them first then cook them as you normally would and 1/2 of the work is already done for your digestive track! It works like magic for me, and I have a few recipes like my dessert-for-breakfast Morning Dove Cake where you can try this secret method out ;)

4) Eating fruit 🍎 with any other food group

So to be honest, I’m not huge into food combining because I know it’s not realistic for me at this point in time nor do I feel it’s really necessary all the time for great health.

That being said, there are some “rules” I have learned to be true. In food combining there is this idea that you shouldn’t eat fruit with anything else as it’s meant to be broken down alone to optimize digestion. I found this out to be very true for me via Starbucks protein boxes 🤦🏽‍♀️ of all things!

If you are not familiar, the Starbucks protein box contains two hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, a multigrain piece of bread, apple slices, grapes and cheese 🧀 (that I always tossed out!) I used to grab one of these boxes at least 2-3 times a week as a quick lunch or mini meal between classes. Ever time my stomach would have a mini fit and I’d wonder why...?!

After a lot of trial an error involving me leaving out different partsof the box and what not, I realized it was the combo of the protein from the eggs and fruit that wrecked me. To this day, I try not to eat an apple or any other fruit if I know I'm about to have protein or fat and it really helps prevent that yucky, gassy feeling!

5) Beans & Seeds

Ok, so beans are pretty obvious as I know they cause a lot of people issues. Still, with the plant-based lifestyle really taking root amongst the health conscious, beans of all kinds are making a cool comeback. I love it! more protein from plants & less from animals = progress! Still, just because it's trendy doesn't mean you won't feel your stomach fill with gas after a bean-loaded meal...no matter how pretty it was plated.

Though I feel as though my stomach is pretty strong, I would never think of eating a salad with beans in it if I planned on going anywhere where I planned on wearing something tight. I love my garbanzo bean salads so much, but I try to only eat them at night on a night in.

Then there are seeds--seeds tend to be superfoods. But wow...they can really wreck ya *cue Rapper's Delight--betta check yo' self before you wreck yo self*

Flaxseeds, specifically ground almost always make me a little bloated. But, they really help with regularity for me, so I usually suck it up and just deal with the tiny bit of discomfort I experience. Still, some of you, like my mom for example, may just not agree with flaxseeds at all and may need to cut them out. It depends on you boo.

So Basically:

Like I said, this is specific to ME and my body, but it aligns pretty well with common sensitivities. These days, my digestive system is pretty strong & has healed an incredible amount over the past 4 years...so much so that I can manage to eat basically anything without terrible repercussions. But still, I prefer to have a flat stomach as often as possible therefore I am very mindful on when I choose to eat eat these foods (except dairy—I don’t consider that a food. Your body was not designed to eat it after age 2).

I highly suggest that if you struggle with bloating, take this list and these tips into consideration when eating and see if removing or limiting these foods/food combinations helps! God knows bloating is a B and though there are worse things to deal with, it can really mess with your psyche.

As always, sending love your way & welcoming any questions, stories or feedback in the comments! And if you prefer to reach out privately, don’t hesitate to email me ❤️ Thanks for reading loves.